The Senegal international defender is seen as an ideal cheap atlernative to Napoli man Kalidou Koulibaly, with the Daily Mail reporting he could be available for as little as £6.2 million.

The Toffees were poor at the back last season, and new boss Ronald Koeman has targeted a new central defender as he looks to prioritise a better defensive record this season.

Mbodji, 26, currently plies his trade in Belgium with Anderlecht and is also capable of playing as a holding midfielder.

Another defender Everton have been linked with this summer is Swansea City skipper Ashley Williams.

The Mirror say the Merseyside club are weighing up a £10 million move for the Wales international, with the hope the player could be keen on a switch in order to pursue European football.

Everton conceded a whopping 55 Premier League goals last season, with only five clubs conceding more.

Williams, 31, has become one of the best defenders in Britain, and some could argue that he has outgrown the Swans and is capable of featuring regularly for a team challenging near the top of the table.

In other news, Everton are still playing hardball as Manchester City look to sigh John Stones (Daily Mail).

The report claims that the Toffees are refusing to back down from their £50 million valuation of the player, and they have already rejected a £40 million bid from Pep Guardiola’s side.

Stones has played a key role in Everton’s pre-season camapign thus far, featuring against both MK Dons and German side Dresden as boss Ronald Koeman still holds hopes of keeping him around.

Finally, Aston Villa boss Roberto Di Matteo is disappointed to see Idrissa Gueye head to Everton, telling ITV Sport that if it wasn’t for his release clause there would be no chance of an impending departure.

The italian said: “The fact he is leaving is basically down to the clause he has in his contract, otherwise there would be no chance. We're not a club looking to sell, we don't have to, we don't need to”

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.